Marine archaeologists using advanced sonar technology have located a 2nd-century CE Roman merchant shipwreck off the coast of Sicily. The vessel appears to have been transporting a significant cargo of raw glass cullet and unworked chunks of cobalt-based dyes, intended for a specialized glass-blowing center in the western Mediterranean.
Divers also recovered several intact amphorae containing remnants of fish sauce (garum), which were used to feed the crew during the voyage. The preservation of the raw materials provides a rare opportunity for scientists to study the chemical composition and trade networks of the imperial Roman glass industry.